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Opossum in the Attic

Do you know where to start when it comes to an opossum in the attic?

One of the most successful ways to get rid of opossums in the attic it with trapping and relocating. Opossums are mainly lone animals, unless it is a mother with her young you will not be likely to see more than one living in the same place. This makes it a little easier when it comes to their removal. Yet it is still best to have a Wildlife removal company assist you in the removal as only the first step is to actually relocate the animals.

Opossums are not in fact rodents despite the similar look to rats, they are a part of the marsupial (think kangaroos) family. Their young are carried in a pouch where they stay almost full time until they are large enough to cling onto the mother’s back. At this time they then drop off of her back and go on to live their own lives. When you are removing opossums and find that the mother has young in her pouch it is pretty straight forward relocation. If you find that she has young attached to her back there may be a bit more detail needed in ensuring that there are no young left in the attic prior to repairing and sealing the entry points. Opossums are more creatures of opportunity, they are not prone to opening new holes in a home, they opt for the already existing holes. With their opposable thumbs as well as prehensile (think monkey) tails they are able to get into areas that may not be easily seen from the ground.

Being that opossums are nomadic animals they can sometimes establish a place as a home base of sorts, especially a mother with young. They rummage for food and will eat almost anything including meat and even rotting carcasses. They are somewhat slow animals and often try to be as threatening as possible barring their 50 teeth when needed. Yet at times, they can be so scared that they pass out and fake dead which is where the term “play possum” comes from. This can sometimes lead an inexperienced person to “remove a dead opossum” and end up with unwanted injuries as the animal is not actually dead.

Opossums are opportunistic scavengers, they will eat anything that they can, trash, pet food, and even other dead animals. Because of this they are able to fit in quite well with humans and not be bothered by us. This causes them to come further and further into our homes and environment with little fear. Although when they are scared or feel threatened they can cause quite some nasty bites. Opossums do not commonly carry rabies, although they do carry many parasites along with their droppings including salmonella. Once the opossum removal is completed there is a large need for cleanup and sanitizing. This is due to the large amounts of feces and urine that opossums leave behind. Unless cleanup is done there is often a lingering odor.

When getting opossum removal done we recommend that you use a Wildlife Specialist listed on our National Directory. All of the specialists listed are trained and experienced in wildlife removal. As well as using effective and humane removal methods. All of the specialists listed can also help you with any needed repairs from entry points as well as cleanup following the opossum removal.